Uncommon Valentine’s Day Getaways

Romance is a tricky thing to define. It can’t be found in those 30-second jewelry commercials that play incessantly from Halloween until New Year’s Day. It’s not a giant box of chocolates (even though chocolate is delicious). It’s not even in one of the sappy cards you find in the aisle of your favorite drugstore.

So when Valentine’s Day rolls around, you can go for the standard dinner date with your beloved. A nice meal is, well, nice. Or you can go a little outside the box for an experience the two of you will never forget.

Travel to the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has a reputation for being cold and rainy, especially in the winter months. But there’s something cozy about that. Dreary weather provides you with an excuse to stay inside and snuggle, although if you go outside, there’s plenty of beautiful scenery to explore even when the weather isn’t great.

The Northwest is known for cities like Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland, but you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you limit yourself to the major urban areas. If you’re looking for some adult fun, head south of Portland to the Coos Bay area. It’s there that you’ll find The Mill Casino, a gaming and entertainment site run by the Coquille Indians. You can try your hand at roulette, relax in a luxurious hotel suite, or a do a little of both. Regardless of how well you do at the slots, you and your beloved will both end up feeling like winners because you were lucky enough to find one another.

Travel to the Deep South

What do you think of when you think of the Southern United States? Your mind probably lands on something related to fried food and hot weather. There’s plenty of both in the South, but it’s also an underrated region for tourism. Too many people dismiss places like Mississippi or Alabama as stopping points on the way to Florida. That’s incredibly shortsighted.

Take a closer look like places like Vicksburg, a city located on the Mississippi River just a stone’s throw from Louisiana. You’ll find plenty of Southern hospitality in this town of 23,000. Don’t let anyone tell you there aren’t fun things to do in Vicksburg. The city has several great venues where you can hear the classic sounds of delta blues music. If you’re more into country music or rock and roll, you can find that in Vicksburg, too. Love songs exist in pretty much every musical genre, so there’s no reason not to sit down and listen to something sweet with your sweetheart.

Are you a history buff? Head to the Vicksburg National Military Park. Civil War symbols have been in the news a lot lately, and there’s no better way to educate yourself than by heading to the place where the Battle of Vicksburg was waged over a few weeks in 1863. Once you’ve learned a few things, you can find a nice table for two at a local soul food restaurant. After all, calories don’t count if you’re on vacation.